SECAUCUS, N.J., Nov. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) The Children’s Place, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCE), the largest pure-play children’s specialty apparel retailer in North America, today announced that on November 1, 2021, the Company appointed Katherine Kountze to the Company’s Board of Directors and as a member of the Audit Committee.  Ms. Kountze will hold office until the annual meeting of stockholders of the Company to be held in 2022.  Ms. Kountze is an independent director under applicable SEC and Nasdaq rules.

Ms. Kountze is currently the Executive Vice President & Chief Information Officer of DentaQuest, a purpose-driven oral health care company and has held that position since April 2021. Prior to DentaQuest, from 2010, Ms. Kountze was the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Eversource Energy, a business and residential energy provider serving the Northeastern United States. From 2001 to 2010, Ms. Kountze served in various senior information and data security positions at The United Illuminating Company, culminating in her role as Vice President and Chief Information Officer in 2007. Ms. Kountze currently serves on the board of directors and audit committee of Bombardier Recreation Products and is a member of several advisory councils and industry organizations, including the Massachusetts Cybersecurity Strategy Council, the Boston CIO Leadership Advisory Council, the AT&T Executive Customer Advisory Committee, and the Advisory Board for Apprenti, a technology apprenticeship program. Ms. Kountze received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Actuarial Math & Science from the University of Connecticut, a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of New Haven, and a Certificate for Finance Accounting from Harvard Business Online. 

Norman Matthews, Chairman of the Board said, “Kathy is an expert in cybersecurity, and she is an experienced and accomplished C-suite information technology executive, skilled at aligning technology with the needs of the business. Kathy is an important addition to our Board, and will be a key liaison between the Board and the management team as the Company continues to successfully deliver on its accelerated digital transformation.” 

About The Children’s Place
The Children’s Place is the largest pure-play children’s specialty apparel retailer in North America. The Company designs, contracts to manufacture, sells at retail and wholesale, and licenses to sell fashionable, high-quality merchandise predominantly at value prices, primarily under the proprietary “The Children’s Place”, “Place”, “Baby Place”, and “Gymboree” brand names. As of July 31, 2021, the Company had 708 stores in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, online stores at www.childrensplace.com and www.gymboree.com, and the Company’s eight international franchise partners had 208 international points of distribution in 17 countries.